California Deserts & Anza NHT - Spring 2015

[Pmount]

Sunday Match 29, 2015
Start: Buckeye Flats campground, Sequoia NP
Finish: El Portal, CA

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Click here for this RTA Library Map

Not as quiet a night and morning in the campground as the night before, as new neighbors were much noisier on Saturday evening. First time ever we had a problem in a campground; when we returned to camp Saturday afternoon the new neighbors had moved in and were setting up camp in our area and had a car parked in our slot. The yellow tag indicating we had paid through Sunday was replaced with their tag. Our lawn chairs and cooking items in the bear box were in place. Luckily when we pulled in and inquired about the car they readily admitted it was theirs and moved everything off our site. We are still not sure what they thought allowed them to occupy our site. This campground is isolated, no host or rangers are nearby and the campground was full. In the future we might take a photo of our tag showing the permit number and dates. We'll also pull out our laminated 'campsite occupied' tag.


After breakfast we headed back down into Visalia and north on CA 99 towards Fresno. Before reaching Fresno, in the small burg of Traver, is a real tourist stop, Bravo Cheese. We walked through the gift shop and into the back patio. Lots of relics laying around, including a good old push mover, which kids were pushing around the yard area. Brought back memories of cutting our lawn with a push mower, my father's idea of honest labor. In another area there were at least 10-15 Tonka trucks out for kids to use. Lots of snack, food and drink choices in a small area. Well worth a stop if traveling CA 99. They have a newer version along I-5. Their sign, I think, is appropriate for many roadside attractions.


Bravo Cheese



We stopped for gas and lunch before continuing north and eventually heading east on CA 140 towards Yosemite National Park. We knew there were no reservable sites in Yosemite (had checked back several months ago and during the past week for cancellations) and did not want to arrive too late for the 'first come, first served' campgrounds in the park. Most of the Forest Service campgrounds have not opened at this time and we needed showers. We stopped at Indian Flats RV park, just west of El Portal. For $20 we got a shady spot and showers. The drive in along the Merced River is very scenic. This is a route we have seldom used so we enjoyed the 'newness'. It continues to be quite warm, in the upper 80s, but great sleeping weather.


More birds seen outside of Sequoia and at our campsite tonight.


Merced River





Wildlife Sightings


Rock Squirrel
Lizard
Swallowtail butterfly


Hummingbird
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Western Kingbird
Common Raven
Western Scrub Jay
Black Phoebe
Swallow
American Robin
Common Poorwill - heard